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Politics : SI Member Vote 2004/SubjectMarks Only For Bush -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Joe NYC who wrote (725)	8/31/2004 9:40:31 AM
From: Rarebird	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 812

<I thought health was a responsibility> Responsibility is certainly one of the essential ingredients in maintaining good health. Anyone who smokes cigarettes, drinks alcohol excessively, fails to get an annual glaucoma and prostate examination (especially if they are a male over 50), etc; is certainly asking for trouble. I fail to see your point here since ultimately all people who live very healthy responsible lives get sick through no fault of their own. The Human Reality is very fragile and dies. That is a fact. There is no medical cure for Death yet. Health is a also a social, economic and political issue and above all a fundamental human right. Inequality, poverty, exploitation, violence and injustice are at the root of ill-health and the deaths of poor and marginalized people. Health for all means that powerful interests have to be challenged and that political and economic priorities have to be drastically changed. Senator Kerry's Universal Health care plan is to be applauded for recognizing this and stating upfront that the Top 2% of income producing Americans should pay for this expense. And the vast majority of Americans agree with this. Whether or not this plan becomes law will ultimately depend on the makeup of the House of Representatives and Senate, if Kerry gets elected. Ultimately, Health and Human Rights are inseparable, and that limitations on human rights compromise the health of individuals and populations. Likewise, limitations on health compromise the ability to enjoy human rights. Human rights are social preconditions for individuals and populations to achieve a state of optimal physical, mental and social well being. One cannot practice public health or human rights without being aware how one of these fields intersects with the other. For example, can the health of a population prosper in the midst of systematic abuses of human rights? Can human rights exist in conditions of ill health?